Shanahan and Lynch strongly dispute Bleacher Report claim of friction two years into regime

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SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 25: San Francisco 49ers General Manager John Lynch addresses to media during a press conference on their first round pick at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Thursday, April 25, 2019. 49ers picked Joey Bosa of Ohio State as their #2 overall pick. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)

SANTA CLARA — John Lynch insisted Friday all is well atop the 49ers hierarchy, that his two-year term as general manager is not endangered and that his relationship with coach Kyle Shanahan is as strong as ever.

“The notion we’re not working together couldn’t be further from the truth,” Lynch said on 95.7 The Game. “We have a tremendous working relationship. We’re great friends off field. There’s a lot of trust. We came into this together knowing there’d be tough times and it wouldn’t be easy, but it would be worth it.

“I can tell Niner fans that, hey, we’re as strong as ever and there’s a lot of trust and faith,” Lynch added. “I feel so great for this organization that they have Kyle Shanahan, a tremendous leader, tremendous mind.

“Our players love him. I love him. We’ve got each other’s back, and that’s all I will say on that. That’s the truth, and as they say, the truth shall set you free.”

On Tuesday, Bleacher Report’s NFL draft analyst Matt Miller said friction exists between Lynch and Shanahan, the first such report since the 49ers regime took shape in 2017. Miller cited anonymous team sources claiming Shanahan does not trust Lynch’s decision making and they don’t share the same vision.
(Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)

Shanahan’s reaction was succinct, calling it “complete (B.S.)” in a text to NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco on Tuesday.

Lynch concurred, telling 95.7 The Game: “Well, it’s nonsense. Look, I’m a big boy, Kyle’s a big boy. People can talk about a lot of things whether they like or picks. People can say, ‘You were dumb taking a punter in the fourth round.’

“We’ve got big shoulders. We’re going to do what we think is right for the organization. We’re proud of what we’ve done.”

After inheriting a 2-14 team and razing its roster, Shanahan and Lynch have produced 6-10 and 4-12 seasons, the latter of which was marred by September knee injuries to Jimmy Garoppolo and Jerick McKinnon, as well as Reuben Foster’s legal sideshow.

“We fully understand we’re going into Year 3,” Lynch said. “This is a production based business and we have to start winning games. We feel really good about where our team is in terms of being set up to do that. We feel great about the progress we’ve made.

“It’s put-up time. We understand that.”

Even though Shanahan hand-picked Lynch for the GM role, Miller’s report claimed Shanahan is “looking for his own personnel man to run the draft and free agency.”

As for personnel evaluation, Lynch painted a picture of working in tandem with Shanahan. Both are first-timers in their roles.

“Fortunately most of the time, and this is what drew us together, our eyes happen to see the same thing in a lot of occasions,” Lynch said. “By the time we’ve brought a player in here, we’re both on board. It’s been an awesome experience.”

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